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NLB’s PRESSPLAY: Relive the best of your SG childhood

Five stones, Peranakan tiles, typewriters and more – get your dose of nostalgia at National Library Board’s PRESSPLAY

Here’s one for the #TGIF posts: National Library Board’sPRESSPLAY! The fifth edition of this youth arts festival promises to press rewind on childhood favourites from printmaking to film photography, so expect heavy 80s–90s vibes, and a whole lot of fun from February 11 to March 10.

Expect loads of oldies-but-goodies created and performed by local artists, musicians and craftsmen. There’s plenty to get immersed in – from craft booths to music from the burgeoning local scene. Get up close and personal with Singapore’s best and brightest in the film and design industries, and lose yourself in a childhood fave at the insiders-only, after-hours finale event, LASTPLAY. Here are the highlights…

Get your hands dirty with old school crafts at NLB’s PRESSPLAY.

MAKEPLAY

It’s all about getting crafty with traditional Singaporean emblems at MAKEPLAY. We’re adding some local flair to our lives with Peranakan tile motifs. Artist/printmaker Jennifer Lim leads the linocut Peranakan printmaking workshop on 11 February, where you get to tessellate your own patterns onto an eco-friendly bag to bring home. Or pick up a needle and thread and see if you can master some embroidery led by The Workroom, where you get to transform old-school, iconic Singaporean icons into nifty badges you can wear.

AIRPLAY

AIRPLAY, in collaboration with Noise Singapore, sets the stage for local musicians with sick beats, good vibes and lyrics that speak to the soul. Noise Mentorship Programme’s alumnus Shak & TheBaits is clearly the perfect fit – Shak is a singer-songwriter and spoken-word artist who’s penned his life into tunes inspired by the blues, soul, R&B and hip hop. Be still, our beating hearts.

#ArtistAnonymous

Think you know your local personalities? Think again. Get to know them better with #ArtistAnonymous. Musicians, filmmakers and designers will be present, including Sobs, a lo-fi, bedroom-pop trio that describes themselves as “Uncool Pop Music“ (it’s very far from the truth!).

LASTPLAY

Relive your childhood in this intimate, after-hours affair; in the artisan booths of LASTPLAY, you get to bring home your own set of five stones, have personalised poems made at the Typewriter-in-Residence station, and weave your own friendship bracelets that will stand the test of time. Need a breather? Enjoy performances by local bands such as M1LDL1FE.

PRESSPLAY Bookshop

Last but not least, reconnect with your childhood heroes, from the likes of Roald Dahl and more. LASTPLAY will be setting up a PRESSPLAY Bookshop right at the Plaza – where you get to pick up titles from your childhood to reminisce over. Any two books borrowed gets you an exclusive PRESSPLAY collectible that can be used over at the gachapon machines – you might even get to design these collectibles!

Tip! The PRESSPLAY experience isn’t complete without its best companion, the NLB Mobile app. This handy tool lets you in on the latest happenings, skip the borrowing queues, and collect exclusive PRESSPLAY collectibles. If you’re more of an eBook reader, there are tons of titles on it for reading on the go too.